Tag: Mark Saunders

Being Simple Is Not Easy!

We tend to be complicated.

God’s heart for us is simple. He loves us and wants us to be free.

As born again Christians we only have two traps to avoid really – the flesh and legalism.

The “way of the cross” is the only path that leads me safely between these two pits. The Holy Spirit helps us walk this road.

Walking the narrow road, being lead by the Holy Spirit is a simple summary of Christian life. It’s not complicated.

It’s the only way to reach our goal of being changed, bit by bit, so that the reality of my attitude of heart resembles Jesus.

The Apostle Paul summed up so much when he said…

“Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith”

1 Timothy 1:5

There’s only one way to this place – the road of the cross.
All my bible knowledge, Greek and Hebrew can’t help me if I’m not willing to walk this simple road. In fact nothing can and it all begins in our homes.

  • Mark Saunders

Our Hope Is In Jesus Christ. If Only We Would See…

Life with out hope is dark.

True hope is invaluable.

Hope by it’s very nature goes against the reality of what we see so it needs a foundation.

seedling on dry ground

Something immovable and truthful that anchors it… otherwise hope would be hopeless.

There’s a mindset that rules in this world. It pins our hope to politics and policies, to education and careers, to relationships and money… the list is endless.. but they all have one thing in common… they can all be shaken and they will all fail. A great, empty, hopeless deception.

As Christians we’re called to be “strangers and foreigners” who are “passing through.” This doesn’t mean “disconnected and isolated” but rather people who don’t place our hope in this world.

Our hope is in Jesus Christ. If only we would see…

Ephesians 1:17-18
That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,

Hebrews 6:19
This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil,

  • Mark Saunders

If We Don’t Forgive We Won’t Be Forgiven

Forgiveness is not easy and life is not fair.

It tests what our faith is based on… my feelings or God’s word.

There’s an often misused passage in the Bible.

It’s in Luke 6:38 “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”

Jesus is not taking about money, but forgiveness. Read it and see for yourself.

What He was saying is that if we don’t forgive we won’t be forgiven. That’s pretty tough.

If I don’t forgive it’s me that’s in the wrong ? That’s doubly unfair in our own eyes.

What do we do?

This is exactly why we need the “road of the cross” and the Holy Spirit to help us walk it.

Jesus is our example, he didn’t resist. He laid His life down and waited for the Spirit of God to raise Him to life and freedom.

The Lord looks at the heart. Perhaps you can’t forgive… but the key is to want to be able to… that’s enough for the Lord to work with.

He never despises a broken spirit and a contrite heart. Ask Him, he will help you.

The cross is the only solution!

  • Mark Saunders

God’s Heart For Us Is To Be Free

Freedom is something we all want.
But what is freedom?

Woman Jumping Freely Wearing Green Backpack

God’s heart for us is to be free. He gave us free will and desires relationship with us in freedom. He’s not looking for “religious robots.”

But here’s the thing… we’re all infected with a “virus” called sin which restricts our freedom.

We’re born with it as a consequence of Adam’s fall. When he used his free will to rebel against the authority of God it was as if he’d been “infected with sin.”

We’re easily imprisoned by sin. It brings destruction, broken relationships and eventually spiritual death. It’s symptoms are evident all around us.

We need to be delivered from our “virus.”

Jesus did just that. He took the consequences of our sin for us on himself… separation from God and spiritual death.

But death could not hold him. Three days later he rose from the dead. The spiritual consequences of sin had been defeated. My part is to sincerely repent and receive God’s forgiveness.

At the point of genuine repentance a miracle happens. The Lord changes our hearts. It’s called being “born again.”

We’re not “sin free”…show me a perfect Christian… there are none… but our the motivations of our hearts change and our lives begin to change.

By the grace of God, through faith in Christ we are restored to the original freedom of relationship that He first intended to have with him and those around us.

Psalm 146:7
Who executes justice for the oppressed,
Who gives food to the hungry.
The Lord gives freedom to the prisoners.

Galatians 5:1
Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.

  • Mark Saunders